Avoiding Messaging Fails: Building Strategy Before Writing Copy

When Corporate Habits Hold Back Your Marketing

Leaving a six-figure corporate career with no plan, no business idea, and $165,000 in student loan debt sounds terrifying. For Mark Stern, founder of Custom Box Agency, it was just Tuesday. But what he did not expect was how much the habits and mindset he built over years at Deloitte would quietly work against him as he tried to build something of his own. In this episode, Mark shares the moment he realized he had been playing the wrong game entirely, and what finally clicked when he stopped trying to win at entrepreneurship using corporate rules. You'll learn: * Why high performance in corporate America does not automatically translate to entrepreneurship * The accidental product launch that changed the entire direction of Mark's business * What a ketchup bottle taught Mark about listening to his customers * The mindset trap that keeps so many new entrepreneurs stuck without realizing it * Why being good at everything might actually be holding your business back * What happened when Mark's customers started using his product in ways he never intended If you have ever wondered why the skills that made you successful before are not working the way you expected now, this conversation is going to hit close to home. Connect with Mark Stern: * Website: customboxagency.com * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marustern Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review so you never miss a chance to unfudge your marketing. Learn more about Kristi and get in touch with her to learn how to Unf*dge YOUR marketing: kristimitchell.com

Lessons from a Failed Mass Messaging Campaign

Buying a list of thousands of contacts and blasting them with mass messages sounds like a shortcut to scaling fast. Jon Goering, founder of Story Trust Media, tried exactly that early in his business, and walked away with zero clients, damaged email deliverability, and a very clear lesson about what actually builds a service-based business. Spoiler: it is not a numbers game. Jon joins Kristi to unpack what went wrong, why high trust transactions require a completely different approach to outreach, and how shifting to value-led relationship building completely changed his results. You'll learn: * Why buying a list was not the real mistake and what actually went wrong * How mass messaging tanked Jon's email deliverability and hurt relationships he had already built * Why the numbers game approach fails every time in high trust service-based businesses * The difference between cold outreach that repels and cold outreach that actually opens doors * How Jon shifted from mass blasting to five intentional LinkedIn touchpoints a week and what changed * Why leading with value, not with what you offer, is the only cold outreach strategy worth your time * Why the people already in your world are often the most overlooked source of new business If you have ever been tempted by the promise of a bought list or a mass messaging campaign, this episode will save you the time, money, and headache of finding out the hard way. Connect with Jon Goering: * Website: storytrust.media * Free email newsletter and private podcast available at storytrust.media Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review so you never miss a chance to unfudge your marketing. Learn more about Kristi and get in touch with her to learn how to Unf*dge YOUR marketing: kristimitchell.com

Stop Chasing Shiny Objects: Aligning Marketing Tactics with Your Values

When your offer is working, your clients are getting results, and you know the problem is not what you are selling but who is hearing about it, the temptation to jump into lead generation mode can be overwhelming. Humaira Akhter, founder of the Genius Offer Blueprint, joins Kristi to share what happened when impatience sent her chasing a shiny new tactic, and what she learned about the difference between solving the right problem and solving the visible one. Humaira and Kristi unpack the trap of jumping to the top of the funnel when the real opportunity is already sitting in your existing network, why certain marketing tactics feel wrong no matter how hard you try, and why you cannot pour gas on a fire that is not already lit. You'll learn: * Why having a proven offer is not enough if you are solving the wrong marketing problem * What happened when Humaira hired a consultant to run LinkedIn Sales Navigator outreach and why it felt so off * The difference between discomfort that signals growth and discomfort that signals misalignment * Why cold outreach to strangers is never going to feel natural if deep one-on-one connection is your strength * How jumping straight to lead generation can pull you away from the warm relationships already in your network * Why the fire has to be burning before you pour gas on it and what that means for your marketing priorities * The offer manifesto concept Humaira uses to stay focused and stop chasing tactics that pull her off course If you have ever found yourself doing a marketing tactic that does not feel like you, this episode will help you figure out why and what to do instead. Connect with Humaira Akhter: * LinkedIn: Humaira Akhter [https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter/] * Free resource: humairaakhter.com/geniuszone [humairaakhter.com/geniuszone] * Genius Offer Diagnostic Quiz: humairaakhter.com/quiz/genius_offer_diagnostic [humairaakhter.com/quiz/genius_offer_diagnostic] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review so you never miss a chance to unfudge your marketing. Learn more about Kristi and get in touch with her to learn how to Unf*dge YOUR marketing: kristimitchell.com

Avoiding Messaging Fails: Building Strategy Before Writing Copy

If your website is not converting, your emails are not getting responses, or people are landing on your pages and disappearing without taking action, you might think you have a words problem. But chances are you have a strategy problem. Elle Rosselli, conversion copywriter and messaging strategist, joins Kristi to talk about what happens when businesses skip the foundational work and jump straight to getting words on a page, and why that shortcut almost always costs more in the long run. Elle and Kristi unpack the difference between guessing at your audience and actually listening to them, why copy rooted in real client language outperforms polished professional writing every time, and what it looks like to build messaging that actually converts. You'll learn: * Why imagining a buyer persona is not the same as understanding your actual buyer * How one early client experience taught Elle that strategy has to come before a single word is written * The real reason your website is not converting, and why it is almost never about the design * What voice of customer research actually looks like and why it can feel like cheating when you do it right * How to spot the signs that you have a messaging problem, not a traffic problem * Why using your clients' exact words in your copy is more powerful than any polished headline you could write * The practical first step Elle recommends if you think messaging might be holding your business back If you have ever poured time and money into a website or a campaign that produced crickets, this episode will help you understand why and what to do about it. Connect with Elle Rosselli: * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurel-elle-rosselli-conversion-copywriter-coaches-consultants?originalSubdomain=ca Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review so you never miss a chance to unfudge your marketing. Learn more about Kristi and get in touch with her to learn how to Unf*dge YOUR marketing: kristimitchell.com

Stop Losing Business: Nail Your Message, Attract the Right Clients

You can shout from every rooftop, post on every platform, and get all the exposure in the world. But if your messaging is unclear, inconsistent, or stuck in an older version of who you are, that exposure can actually work against you. Hersh Rephun, personal brand strategist and founder of Yes Brand Builders, joins Kristi to talk about one of the most common and costly mistakes he sees: a failure to maintain messaging coherence as visibility grows. Hersh and Kristi unpack why wrong fit referrals, constant self-explanation, and missed opportunities are often symptoms of a messaging problem at the source, and what it looks like to fix it. You'll learn: * Why getting more exposure without a clear signal can calcify the wrong perception of who you are * How to spot the early signs that your messaging is sending mixed signals to your audience * Why wrong fit referrals are often a clue that something in your messaging needs attention * The neurologist and orchestra conductor story and what it teaches us about what makes you truly memorable * Why clarity alone is not enough if you are being crystal clear about the wrong thing * How to trace a breakdown in understanding all the way back to where the disconnect first happened * Why the truth of who you are is your greatest marketing asset and the one thing no competitor can replicate If you feel like you keep explaining yourself or the right people just are not finding you, this episode will help you figure out why. Connect with Hersh Rephun: * Website: yesbrandbuilders.com * Book: Selling the Truth, available at sellingthetruthbook.com Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave a review so you never miss a chance to unfudge your marketing. Learn more about Kristi and get in touch with her to learn how to Unf*dge YOUR marketing: kristimitchell.com